Further decision on homeless encampment needed before solution is reached

YAKIMA, WA - The city council is asking for more time to discuss the homeless issue and the consensus is a long term solution needs to be found. At the meeting on Tuesday, five places of interest to move the current homeless encampment on Chestnut Avenue near 6th Street were to be discussed, instead the city council was asked to hold off on discussing this matter and instead look for a better solution.

The council was offered a loan of $20,000 by the health district for immediate use, to take care of sanitation issues at the encampment, which the council accepted. All parties involved in this matter stressed that the homeless issue on Chestnut needs to be solved fast.

"Whether it is a short-term to long-term, which is what we need, but right now we need to get them out of where they are at and that means right now," said Ruby Irving-Hewey, who lives near the encampment. "They have been their far too long."

The idea of providing housing vouchers for the homeless as an alternative to moving the encampment was also mentioned, but not discussed in detail. The council along with other parties will be holding two separate study sessions in the near future to further discuss the homeless situation and solutions. It will take to up to 30 days before the homeless problem on Chestnut Avenue is resolved.